THE PROPOSAL (Episode 2)

Years on, she was still healing...not from the physical burns but the ones in her heart. She had to deliberately try to stop hating her roomie for permanently destroying her life. It took a large dose of therapy, counseling, Scripture meditation and prayers to get her to let go of bitterness and forgive her late roomie. 

About a year ago, she got a job to work in a construction firm which was another miracle. It was so easy to notice people were uncomfortable around her so she kept mostly to herself. She didn't have friends. Then came Ed. He was different. He doesn't seem to be embarrassed at all by her presence and was more than glad when both of them were paired to work together. Ed's father, an ex-minister, owned the construction company. 

For seven months they worked closely on a project and it had been awesome. She liked him but that was all there was to it. As much as Ed treated her lovingly, she didn't want to start reading meaning into his actions and start developing feelings for him. Steph strongly believed no man in his right mind would want date her talk more of having her for wife.

But to her utmost surprise that is exactly what Ed was asking her, to be his wife! She replayed the whole scenario again in her head. Ed had taken her out to what she thought was a business/friendly dinner. She glowed in her polker dotted shimmering black gown which firmly clung to her body, accentuating her figure. She may not have the face but her figure was amazing. 

In the middle of their night out, Ed had suddenly reached out to gently hold her hand only to ask her, "Will you marry me?" 

Steph almost choked on her wine. "Wha...what?"

"I said 'will you marry me' Steph,"  he repeated, his eyes gazing deep into hers. 

Initially she thought he was joking. 

"You can't possibly be serious..." Steph said with a slight confused smile that waved off the question as unserious and at the same time telling him he shouldn't be joking about things like this. 

"I have never been more serious in my life," Ed was unflinching. Steph noticed that furrow in between his eyes that always appears whenever Ed was darn serious about something. The guy doesn't know how to pretend. 

Not being able to stomach it all and feeling a little overwhelmed by the Ed's marriage proposal, Steph parted from him with the assurance that she will think about it. She wouldn't even allow Ed drop her off. She wanted to disappear as soon as possible, far away from him so she can think. 

She boarded a taxi and headed home with "Why me? Why me?" pounding in her heart, troubling her. 

To be continued

Read Episode 1 if you missed it